Latest news with #EverybodyLaughs
Scoop
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
David Byrne Announces New Album Who Is The Sky? Due September 5th
is proud to announce Who Is the Sky?, his first new album since 2018's acclaimed and award-winning American Utopia, which will be released September 5th by Matador Records. The album was produced by the Grammy-winning Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus), while its 12 songs were arranged by the members of New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra. Musical friends old and new, including St. Vincent, Paramore's Hayley Williams, The Smile drummer Tom Skinner and American Utopia percussionist Mauro Refosco, also make appearances on Who Is the Sky?, which is led by the infectious single ' Everybody Laughs. ' Along with the song, Byrne has released its official video, directed by multimedia artist Gabriel Barcia-Colombo. 'Someone I know said, 'David, you use the word 'everybody' a lot.' I suppose I do that to give an anthropological view of life in New York as we know it,' says Byrne. 'Everybody lives, dies, laughs, cries, sleeps and stares at the ceiling. Everybody's wearing everybody else's shoes, which not everybody does, but I have done. I tried to sing about these things that could be seen as negative in a way balanced by an uplifting feeling from the groove and the melody, especially at the end, when St. Vincent and I are doing a lot of hollering and singing together. Music can do that – hold opposites simultaneously. I realised that when singing with Robyn earlier this year. Her songs are often sad, but the music is joyous.' 'It took me a second to realize, oh yeah, these songs are personal, but with David's unique perspective on life in general,' adds Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull). 'Walking around New York listening to the demo of 'Everybody Laughs' was so joyous, because it made me feel like we're all the same – we all laugh, cry and sing. The thing about David that resonates with a lot of people is that he's in on the joke. He gets the absurdity of it all, and all of these personal observations are his perspective on it.' Byrne will also return to the road with a brand-new live show in support of Who Is the Sky?. The touring band will be comprised of 13 musicians, singers and dancers, including members of the American Utopia band, and all of whom will be mobile throughout the set. The show will arrive in Auckland on 14th January, marking Byrne's first performance in Aotearoa since 2018. See full ticketing information below. In 2023, as his triumphant American Utopia era came to a close after morphing from an album and tour into an acclaimed Broadway show and then a Spike Lee- directed HBO film, Byrne began jotting down the occasional groove, chord or melody. It had been a minute. During the tumultuous three prior years, 'I did a LOT of cooking (Mexican and Indian mostly) and a LOT of drawing,' says Byrne, who also started compiling lyric ideas and phrases for possible songs. 'I've found that when the time comes, it's easier to start if there's a little stockpile – and before too long there was. Very rudimentary songs began to emerge, with just me on acoustic guitar singing over a programmed loop or beat.' And with the world, and the in-progress American Utopia Broadway run, on pause, he, like much of humanity, took the opportunity to ask, 'Do I like what I'm doing? Why am I writing songs, or working this job, or whatever? Does any of it matter?' Byrne's attempts to answer those weighty questions can be found on Who Is The Sky?, which builds upon the optimistic themes laid out by American Utopia and its supporting tour, and more specifically spelled out by the Grammy-winning Broadway show and subsequent movie. With this offering, Byrne continues his lifelong exploration of human connection and the potential for societal unity against the chaotic backdrop of the world. Who Is the Sky? is particularly cinematic, humorous and joyful, but often with a lesson baked in – that love is unexplainable, that enlightenment means very different things to different people and that it's always a good idea to moisturize, whether you wake up the next morning with skin like a baby or not. Most importantly, the songs evince Byrne's gift for riding the razor's edge of avant-garde and accessible pop. Byrne was inspired to enlist Ghost Train Orchestra for the album after hearing their 2023 tribute album to the blind New York composer and street poet Moondog, and later that year jumped on stage with the group during a Brooklyn performance. Enticed by the 15-member Ghost Train's varied instrumental lineup – which includes drums, percussion, guitar and bass along with strings, winds and brass – he thought to himself, 'what if that's what these new songs of mine sounded like?' Byrne asked if they'd want to serve as his band for the Who Is The Sky? sessions, and they quickly agreed. 'David sent me some demos and asked us to put together some orchestral ideas,' says Ghost Train Orchestra leader Brian Carpenter. 'Curtis Hasselbring and I quickly wrote a couple rough draft arrangements of his songs for Ghost Train, including ' My Apartment Is My Friend,' which was the first song we rehearsed at our tiny rehearsal space in Chinatown. To hear him singing with us for the first time on that song was just incredible.' Via an introduction at a party by a friend, Kid Harpoon came into the picture next. 'Sometimes things do happen at parties,' Byrne notes. 'I knew this could all get complicated and I also wanted to be sure the recordings sounded as good as possible. An outside set of ears can be super helpful. A few artists I knew had worked with Kid Harpoon, and I thought those records sounded really good.' Byrne sent Harpoon some demos, and after a discussion at the former's Santa Monica hotel, he jumped aboard too. There are 'more story songs than usual' on Who Is the Sky?, according to Byrne. These 'mini-narratives based on personal experience' include ' She Explains Things to Me ' (sample lyric: 'how come it's all so obvious to her?'), ' A Door Called No ' (which magically opens after Byrne receives a kiss), ' My Apartment Is My Friend ' ('you've seen me at my very worst / but we always get along,' he sings) and ' I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party ' (at which the onetime spiritual guru is more interested in the unhealthy deserts than deification). Marked by the inviting vocal interplay between Byrne and Paramore's Williams, the jaunty ' What Is the Reason for It? ' aims to codify love in a way logic can rarely accomplish ('does it do something useful? / nobody understands it'), while ' The Avant Garde ' wrestles with the merits of art for art's sake ('it's ahead of the curve / it's deceptively weighty, profound, absurd / it's whatever fits' – a meta observation if ever there was one from one of the most iconoclastic artists to emerge from the New York rock underground. 'I suspected that intimate orchestral arrangements would bring out the emotion I sense is there in these songs,' says Byrne, who is planning to tour Who Is The Sky? later this year. 'It's something that folks don't always hear in my work, but this time for sure I thought it was there. At the same time, I also see myself as someone who aspires to be accessible. I imagined that Kid Harpoon would help with that, as well as being a set of trusted ears, since there was a lot going on. People think of producers as people who mainly make a record sound good, and Kid Harpoon did that, but he was also aware of how important the storytelling is.' An admitted 'stickler when it comes to grooves,' Byrne welcomed late-in-the-game contributions from Skinner and Refosco, with whom he's recorded and toured for more than 30 years. Mixed by Mark 'Spike' Stent and mastered by Emily Lazar, the finished product is about both hiding and revealing, or as Byrne puts it, 'a chance to be the mythical creature we all harbor inside. A chance to step into another reality. A chance to transcend and escape from the prison of our 'selves.'' These concepts are heavily incorporated in the Who Is The Sky? album package, which was designed by Shira Inbar and finds Byrne nearly obscured by radiating, colored patterns and psychedelic, spiky outfits designed by Belgian artist Tom Van Der Borght. 'At my age, at least for me, there's a 'don't give a shit about what people think' attitude that kicks in,' Byrne says. 'I can step outside my comfort zone with the knowledge that I kind of know who I am by now and sort of know what I'm doing. That said, every new set of songs, every song even, is a new adventure. There's always a bit of, 'how do I work this?' I've found that not every collaboration works, but often when they do, it's because I'm able to clearly impart what it is I'm trying to do. They hopefully get that, and as a result, we're now joined together heading to the same unknown place.' David Byrne – Who Is the Sky? track list: Everybody Laughs When We Are Singing My Apartment Is My Friend A Door Called No What Is the Reason for It? I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party Don't Be Like That The Avant Garde Moisturizing Thing I'm an Outsider She Explains Things to Me The Truth TOUR DATES Select packages include premium tickets, a tour of the stage and an on-stage photo opportunity, a signed copy of David Byrne's photo book, and early entry into the venue. For more information, visit
Scoop
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
David Byrne Announces New Album Who Is The Sky? Due September 5th
David Byrne is proud to announce Who Is the Sky?, his first new album since 2018's acclaimed and award-winning American Utopia, which will be released September 5th by Matador Records. The album was produced by the Grammy-winning Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus), while its 12 songs were arranged by the members of New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra. Musical friends old and new, including St. Vincent, Paramore's Hayley Williams, The Smile drummer Tom Skinner and American Utopia percussionist Mauro Refosco, also make appearances on Who Is the Sky?, which is led by the infectious single ' Everybody Laughs. ' Along with the song, Byrne has released its official video, directed by multimedia artist Gabriel Barcia-Colombo. 'Someone I know said, 'David, you use the word 'everybody' a lot.' I suppose I do that to give an anthropological view of life in New York as we know it,' says Byrne. 'Everybody lives, dies, laughs, cries, sleeps and stares at the ceiling. Everybody's wearing everybody else's shoes, which not everybody does, but I have done. I tried to sing about these things that could be seen as negative in a way balanced by an uplifting feeling from the groove and the melody, especially at the end, when St. Vincent and I are doing a lot of hollering and singing together. Music can do that – hold opposites simultaneously. I realised that when singing with Robyn earlier this year. Her songs are often sad, but the music is joyous.' 'It took me a second to realize, oh yeah, these songs are personal, but with David's unique perspective on life in general,' adds Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull). 'Walking around New York listening to the demo of 'Everybody Laughs' was so joyous, because it made me feel like we're all the same – we all laugh, cry and sing. The thing about David that resonates with a lot of people is that he's in on the joke. He gets the absurdity of it all, and all of these personal observations are his perspective on it.' Byrne will also return to the road with a brand-new live show in support of Who Is the Sky?. The touring band will be comprised of 13 musicians, singers and dancers, including members of the American Utopia band, and all of whom will be mobile throughout the set. The show will arrive in Auckland on 14th January, marking Byrne's first performance in Aotearoa since 2018. See full ticketing information below. In 2023, as his triumphant American Utopia era came to a close after morphing from an album and tour into an acclaimed Broadway show and then a Spike Lee- directed HBO film, Byrne began jotting down the occasional groove, chord or melody. It had been a minute. During the tumultuous three prior years, 'I did a LOT of cooking (Mexican and Indian mostly) and a LOT of drawing,' says Byrne, who also started compiling lyric ideas and phrases for possible songs. 'I've found that when the time comes, it's easier to start if there's a little stockpile – and before too long there was. Very rudimentary songs began to emerge, with just me on acoustic guitar singing over a programmed loop or beat.' And with the world, and the in-progress American Utopia Broadway run, on pause, he, like much of humanity, took the opportunity to ask, 'Do I like what I'm doing? Why am I writing songs, or working this job, or whatever? Does any of it matter?" Byrne's attempts to answer those weighty questions can be found on Who Is The Sky?, which builds upon the optimistic themes laid out by American Utopia and its supporting tour, and more specifically spelled out by the Grammy-winning Broadway show and subsequent movie. With this offering, Byrne continues his lifelong exploration of human connection and the potential for societal unity against the chaotic backdrop of the world. Who Is the Sky? is particularly cinematic, humorous and joyful, but often with a lesson baked in – that love is unexplainable, that enlightenment means very different things to different people and that it's always a good idea to moisturize, whether you wake up the next morning with skin like a baby or not. Most importantly, the songs evince Byrne's gift for riding the razor's edge of avant-garde and accessible pop. Byrne was inspired to enlist Ghost Train Orchestra for the album after hearing their 2023 tribute album to the blind New York composer and street poet Moondog, and later that year jumped on stage with the group during a Brooklyn performance. Enticed by the 15-member Ghost Train's varied instrumental lineup – which includes drums, percussion, guitar and bass along with strings, winds and brass – he thought to himself, 'what if that's what these new songs of mine sounded like?' Byrne asked if they'd want to serve as his band for the Who Is The Sky? sessions, and they quickly agreed. 'David sent me some demos and asked us to put together some orchestral ideas,' says Ghost Train Orchestra leader Brian Carpenter. 'Curtis Hasselbring and I quickly wrote a couple rough draft arrangements of his songs for Ghost Train, including ' My Apartment Is My Friend,' which was the first song we rehearsed at our tiny rehearsal space in Chinatown. To hear him singing with us for the first time on that song was just incredible.' Via an introduction at a party by a friend, Kid Harpoon came into the picture next. 'Sometimes things do happen at parties,' Byrne notes. 'I knew this could all get complicated and I also wanted to be sure the recordings sounded as good as possible. An outside set of ears can be super helpful. A few artists I knew had worked with Kid Harpoon, and I thought those records sounded really good.' Byrne sent Harpoon some demos, and after a discussion at the former's Santa Monica hotel, he jumped aboard too. There are 'more story songs than usual' on Who Is the Sky?, according to Byrne. These 'mini-narratives based on personal experience' include ' She Explains Things to Me ' (sample lyric: 'how come it's all so obvious to her?'), ' A Door Called No ' (which magically opens after Byrne receives a kiss), ' My Apartment Is My Friend ' ('you've seen me at my very worst / but we always get along,' he sings) and ' I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party ' (at which the onetime spiritual guru is more interested in the unhealthy deserts than deification). Marked by the inviting vocal interplay between Byrne and Paramore's Williams, the jaunty ' What Is the Reason for It? ' aims to codify love in a way logic can rarely accomplish ('does it do something useful? / nobody understands it'), while ' The Avant Garde ' wrestles with the merits of art for art's sake ('it's ahead of the curve / it's deceptively weighty, profound, absurd / it's whatever fits' – a meta observation if ever there was one from one of the most iconoclastic artists to emerge from the New York rock underground. 'I suspected that intimate orchestral arrangements would bring out the emotion I sense is there in these songs,' says Byrne, who is planning to tour Who Is The Sky? later this year. 'It's something that folks don't always hear in my work, but this time for sure I thought it was there. At the same time, I also see myself as someone who aspires to be accessible. I imagined that Kid Harpoon would help with that, as well as being a set of trusted ears, since there was a lot going on. People think of producers as people who mainly make a record sound good, and Kid Harpoon did that, but he was also aware of how important the storytelling is.' An admitted 'stickler when it comes to grooves,' Byrne welcomed late-in-the-game contributions from Skinner and Refosco, with whom he's recorded and toured for more than 30 years. Mixed by Mark 'Spike' Stent and mastered by Emily Lazar, the finished product is about both hiding and revealing, or as Byrne puts it, 'a chance to be the mythical creature we all harbor inside. A chance to step into another reality. A chance to transcend and escape from the prison of our 'selves.'' These concepts are heavily incorporated in the Who Is The Sky? album package, which was designed by Shira Inbar and finds Byrne nearly obscured by radiating, colored patterns and psychedelic, spiky outfits designed by Belgian artist Tom Van Der Borght. 'At my age, at least for me, there's a 'don't give a shit about what people think' attitude that kicks in,' Byrne says. 'I can step outside my comfort zone with the knowledge that I kind of know who I am by now and sort of know what I'm doing. That said, every new set of songs, every song even, is a new adventure. There's always a bit of, 'how do I work this?' I've found that not every collaboration works, but often when they do, it's because I'm able to clearly impart what it is I'm trying to do. They hopefully get that, and as a result, we're now joined together heading to the same unknown place.' David Byrne - Who Is the Sky? track list: Everybody Laughs When We Are Singing My Apartment Is My Friend A Door Called No What Is the Reason for It? I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party Don't Be Like That The Avant Garde Moisturizing Thing I'm an Outsider She Explains Things to Me The Truth TOUR DATES Select packages include premium tickets, a tour of the stage and an on-stage photo opportunity, a signed copy of David Byrne's photo book, and early entry into the venue. For more information, visit
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iconic '70s Rocker Releases First Album In Nearly a Decade
Iconic '70s Rocker Releases First Album In Nearly a Decade originally appeared on Parade. David Byrne may have famously sang about being on a road to nowhere -- but he's certainly headed for the spotlight once again with his long-awaited 2025 album, Who Is the Sky? The eleventh solo album from the legendary frontman for the Talking Heads, Who Is the Sky? features several characteristically ambitious collaborations between Byrne and prominent contemporary musicians, including the likes of Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and many other stars. The album -- Byrne's first in seven years, following 2018's American Utopia -- promises to be a return to form for the decorated '70s rock musician. As further proof of this fact, the 73-year-old Byrne is currently hard at work planning out an expansive tour promoting the album, which is planned to run from 2025 into 2026, featuring stops everywhere from New York and Los Angeles to Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom. Who Is the Sky? will officially arrive on September 5, featuring a total of 12 songs arranged by the Ghost Train Orchestra. The album is set to open with Byrne's single, "Everybody Laughs," which the artist has discussed in past interviews regarding the upcoming project. 'Someone I know said, 'David, you use the word 'everybody' a lot,'" Byrne said in a press release, as reported by Pitchfork. "I suppose I do that to give an anthropological view of life in New York as we know it.' 'Everybody lives, dies, laughs, cries, sleeps and stares at the ceiling," the accomplished Talking Heads rocker continued. "Everybody's wearing everybody else's shoes, which not everybody does, but I have done." "I tried to sing about these things that could be seen as negative in a way balanced by an uplifting feeling from the groove and the melody, especially at the end, when St. Vincent and I are doing a lot of hollering and singing together," the artist concluded. "Music can do that—hold opposites simultaneously.' Iconic '70s Rocker Releases First Album In Nearly a Decade first appeared on Parade on Jun 11, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
David Byrne returns with first new solo album in seven years
David Byrne is returning to the charts with his first new solo album in seven years. The 73-year-old Talking Heads star is releasing Who Is the Sky? - his first solo project since 2018's American Utopia - in September and it features arrangements by New York chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra as well as contributions from St. Vincent, Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams and the Smile drummer Tom Skinner. Byrne said in a statement: "Someone I know said: 'David, you use the word 'everybody' a lot'. "I suppose I do that to give an anthropological view of life in New York as we know it. Everybody lives, dies, laughs, cries, sleeps and stares at the ceiling. "Everybody's wearing everybody else's shoes, which not everybody does, but I have done. "I tried to sing about these things that could be seen as negative in a way balanced by an uplifting feeling from the groove and the melody, especially at the end, when St. Vincent and I are doing a lot of hollering and singing together. Music can do that - hold opposites simultaneously. "I realized that when singing with Robyn earlier this year. Her songs are often sad, but the music is joyous." He went on to add: "At my age, at least for me, there's a 'don't give a shit about what people think' attitude that kicks in. I can step outside my comfort zone with the knowledge that I kind of know who I am by now and sort of know what I'm doing. "That said, every new set of songs, every song even, is a new adventure. There's always a bit of: 'How do I work this?' I've found that not every collaboration works, but often when they do, it's because I'm able to clearly impart what it is I'm trying to do. "They hopefully get that, and as a result, we're now joined together heading to the same unknown place." Byrne has released the album's first single Everybody Laughs and will hit the road for a world tour later this year. The trek kicks off in North American in September - with the first show in Providence, Rhode Island on September 14 - before heading to Australia and New Zealand in January and then on to the UK and Europe and in February. The tour is due to conclude in Paris, France on March 19.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
David Byrne brings world tour to Seattle's Paramount Theatre
The Brief David Byrne, the former front man of Talking Heads, will perform at Seattle's Paramount Theatre this fall as part of his upcoming world tour. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 13, with presale access available through June 12. The tour supports Byrne's 11th solo album, Who is the Sky? SEATTLE - David Byrne announced his world tour will visit Seattle this fall, along with his new album, Who is the Sky? Keep reading to learn more about the show, ticket information and more about David Byrne. David Byrne will take the stage for two nights at Seattle's Paramount Theatre on November 11 and 12, 2025. It will mark his first time performing in Seattle since 2018. His world tour kicks off in September in the U.S. and goes international starting in January 2026. The band will feature 13 musicians, singers and dancers, with many members returning from the American Utopia band. Tickets will be available to purchase on Friday, June 13, and can be found on David Byrne's website. Eager fans can also sign up for Byrne's presale now through June 12 at 10 p.m. PT. The new album, set to release on Sept. 5, was produced by the Grammy-winning Kid Harpoon, who has worked with other modern hit performers like Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus. It features 12 songs that were arranged by Ghost Train Orchestra, a New York-based chamber ensemble. Byrne noted that the album will have "more story songs than usual." In addition, Byrne released his new single "Everybody Laughs," on June 10, which will make an appearance on the new album. The song was accompanied with a music video directed by Gabriel Barcia-Colombo. What they're saying "It took me a second to realize, oh yeah, these songs are personal, but with David's unique perspective on life in general," said Kid Harpoon (also known as Tom Hull). "Walking around New York listening to the demo of 'Everybody Laughs' was so joyous, because it made me feel like we're all the same – we all laugh, cry and sing. The thing about David that resonates with a lot of people is that he's in on the joke. He gets the absurdity of it all, and all of these personal observations are his perspective on it." David Byrne is an American musician and songwriter known for being the lead singer of Talking Heads. Some of the group's biggest hits are "Psycho Killer" and "Once in a Lifetime". When the new wave band went on hiatus, Byrne transitioned to a solo career in 1989. In total, the singer has released ten solo albums, with Who Is the Sky? set to be his 11th release. The 73-year-old has been making music for more than 50 years. The Source Information in this story comes from David Byrne's website. Travis Decker manhunt: 'Remote' areas of 5 WA counties told to lock doors Former Army squadmate shares insight into Travis Decker's military past Miles Hudson found guilty on 2 counts of reckless driving in Seattle Key figures from Bryan Kohberger's youth summoned to Idaho for student murders trial Rochester dog training facility owner accused of killing employee during video shoot To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
